Beyond The Veil
by VocalFics
Summary: We do not know when it's our time…Death is blind and deaf to all, the old and sick, the poor and wealthy, and the young. One time or another we are all visited by the reaper. Koenma offers comfort to a spirit who refuses the idea that she is dead and helps her move on to the afterlife.


**It's been years since I have really wrote YYH fulltime and so things are slowly getting there character wise and story flow wise.**

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Koenma was sitting at his desk in his toddler form stamping away at papers, his brown eyes focused on the task at hand. Heaven, hell, limbo. He just kept stamping away until his door creaked opened and Botan poked her head in a worried look in her eyes as she said to him from across the room," Koenma…I have a little bit of a problem.."

Koenma looked at her for a moment waiting for her to continue to speak. If it had been anyone else he probably would've made them come in and do his paperwork for him or shout until they hastily exited the room. Though with Botan he imagined that it was something very important especially if she deemed it necessary to disturb him. Koenma put his stamp down and gave her his full attention," What is it?"

Botan slowly entered the room and took out her book, she fidgeted with it for a moment thinking about whether she should bring this matter to his attention or not. Koenma sighed resting his face in his hand waiting for her to finally speak up, as if she was afraid of being yelled at Botan hastily spoke," It's about this latest assignment…The spirits in question.."

"It was a normal assignment. A horrendous train wreck resulting in the deaths of five people. A sixty five year old blind woman who helped train guide dogs, a forty year old father of five and a thirty five year old woman who were on their way to their son's graduation, a runaway sixteen year old girl, and an overworked thirty four year old mother of four who was on her way to work. They were all destined for heaven, the paperwork was completed two hours ago." Koenma informed her. He figured that she was insinuating that they were still stuck in the lobby waiting for their souls to be judged and the paperwork stamped. That was one of the first assignments slapped on his desk that morning.

"No. It's not that! She was happy to hear that she was worthy to go to heaven…She even went into a monologue about never believing or worshipping…But the thing is. She's refusing to move on. She says that she has to go home to her kids.." They would occasionally get the stubborn spirit or the one who refused to believe that they could be dead, but after thirty minutes usually an hour they would resign themselves to their fates and move on. This one just refused, determined in life and in death," She said that she refuses to leave the lobby until the decision of her death is revoked.."

Koenma pushed his chair from his desk and stood up in it saying to Botan as he began to fix his outfit to look more presentable," Very well. I will speak with her and see that the issue is resolved. Make sure that she knows I will be with her shortly."

He dismissed Botan before jumping out of his chair. It was his job to help make sure things went smoothly as well and a spirit that refused to leave was something he had to look into as well.

Meanwhile the woman was sitting on the cold floor. She appeared to be calm and collected as if she was in control of her own fate. She looked older than thirty four. She could have easily been mistaken for forty perhaps older, the work and stress being unkind to her body. She was in business casual attire and every few moments would wipe any dust or hair off the black cloth, she did not want to appear sloppy whenever she got to work. It took her a moment to notice the young man standing behind her and when she did she quickly stood up and turned to face him. She was told that the ruler was going to come and speak with her so she imagined someone older. What came to her mind was a hunchbacked man with a long white beard but instead she got someone who barely looked like he would be out of highschool. She stood in shock for a moment before asking in a business-like tone," Are you the ruler of spirit world? I was told that someone was going to speak to me over this misunderstanding."

"I am the ruler of the spirit world. My name is Koenma. I am afraid that this is no misunderstanding. Natsuna Kishimoto you were fated to die by blunt force trauma to the head on this day…You died on route to the hospital, they spent close to an hour trying to revive you." Koenma did not sugarcoat what happened to her but he did feel empathetic towards her. No one wanted to die on their way to work. Koenma wanted her to realize that there was no going back, it would make things easier for the both of them if she did," You are destined for heaven where you will meet up with your mother, your father, grandparents, and everyone that you loved and lost in life."

Natsuna was not fazed by this, any speck of nervousness she had was gone when he began to try and convince her to move on by dangling her parents and grandparents in front of her. She stood up straight and talked to him like she was scolding him," My mother and father both lived to the age of seventy eight, my grandparents were pushing a hundred. They lived full lives…But I'm only thirty four…My son is graduating high school this year…I have triplets who are barely a year old…They need me. I can not just leave them!"

Just like that she seemed to crumple in on herself, falling to her knees she put her arms around herself and began to cry. She was terrified, not about dying and moving on. She found solace in the fact that there was an afterlife but she was terrified of leaving her family behind. What would happen to them if she was gone? They needed her! She told him her sight becoming blurry from the tears," I can't leave my kids…They…They need me…"

His heart went out for the young mother and he reached over putting a hand on her shoulder, his tone softening and his eyes expressing his sympathy," We do not know when it's our time…Death is blind and deaf to all, the old and sick, the poor and wealthy, and the young. One time or another we are all visited by the reaper. Follow me. There is something that I want to show you."

Koenma took her shaking hand and gently helped her up leading her out of the palace and to her own home. Instead of floating in the sky above her house he had led her inside watching as Natsuna rushed to her crying children trying to comfort them and softly said," They cannot hear you and they cannot see you. We're invisible to them."

"Then why did you bring me here?! If I can't comfort them then why did you bring me.." Natsuna quickly turned her attention back to Koenma. She did not understand what he wanted to show her and why she was brought here if she was not going to be allowed to go back to them.

Koenma did not answer her as the door opened and a young man came in. He was wearing a suit and a graduation robe. His eyes were bloodshot as he walked to his siblings, the babysitter had no luck getting them to quiet down and when they saw their brother they stopped crying. They were so young and already knew that their mother was never coming back. He watched the scene of the brother comforting the kids and telling them that everything was going to be alright," The father passed away as well before the triplets were born…Your son has been taking care of them when you're at work. Today was his graduation and you were going to get off early to see it."

Natsuna was crying once more, she didn't know what the whole point of this was as she said trying not to yell. Koenma looked to be the age of her eldest son and she couldn't yell at him," S-so? What's the point? I wasn't there…I spent my whole life…Trying to make sure they had everything. That they wouldn't…I did not think about what will happen if I…It was never a possibility. They won't get by without me though..They still need me."

Koenma walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder," They do need you, but they will get by. Your son has done an excellent job caring for them and he will have help."

"Help? What do you.." The door to the house opened and uniformed workers came in alongside an elderly couple. The woman immediately hugged the eldest son and the man went to the other kids trying to cheer them up.

"Their father's parents. When he passed you shut them out. Your children will be safe with them. It will take time as it always does but they will be happy again. You don't need to linger any longer. Go to heaven and wait, you will be reunited. Not soon but someday." Koenma told her trying to persuade her to move on. As she watched the scene unfold in front of her it was hitting home that this was happening and that she had to move on.

She looked at her family a little longer before whispering silently crying," Alright…I will go then. They'll be okay…I'll go." 

He respected her decision knowing that she did not easily come to it and took her away from the house.

Later that evening Koenma was back to doing paperwork as Botan came into his office again, he was back in his toddler form and looked up at her as she said to him with a small stack of paperwork," This is about that woman from earlier…I was just told to give these to you to review and look over."

Koenma took the small stack of papers and gave a sigh. Every good deed had its price and the price for this one was more paperwork.

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 **This may become just mini stories about Koenma being the ruler of Spirit World. Mulling over that still.**


End file.
